In reply to Post #21
Quote... Look at Tom stockes, fishing some of the best waters to Norton Disney.
But you are looking at that part the slightly wrong way mate. You are looking at it through a pure carp anglers eyes. Someone who I imagine watched Toms fishing before he was fishing for work orientated reasons and respected what he done. When he would be carp fishing for himself, his owns goals or achievements.
He gave that up clearly to work for Korda. I will bet large amounts of cash that those places he now fishes you refer too, coincide with the needs of his employer to promote their new fisheries to you. And other people who like to follow his angling. Clearly does not work for you. But it will be working for Embryo with other more impressionable, maybe younger anglers to put bums on seats at the new lakes. That's his job now.
Tom is clearly happy with the situation and gets to fish everyday. Good luck to him. Always comes across as a nice young bloke.
Quote... Look at Tom stockes, fishing some of the best waters to Norton Disney.
But you are looking at that part the slightly wrong way mate. You are looking at it through a pure carp anglers eyes. Someone who I imagine watched Toms fishing before he was fishing for work orientated reasons and respected what he done. When he would be carp fishing for himself, his owns goals or achievements.
He gave that up clearly to work for Korda. I will bet large amounts of cash that those places he now fishes you refer too, coincide with the needs of his employer to promote their new fisheries to you. And other people who like to follow his angling. Clearly does not work for you. But it will be working for Embryo with other more impressionable, maybe younger anglers to put bums on seats at the new lakes. That's his job now.
Tom is clearly happy with the situation and gets to fish everyday. Good luck to him. Always comes across as a nice young bloke.
In reply to Post #25
Quote.... For me I always wonder if the bait that the sponsored anglers get is the same bait as everyone else.
Of course it is mate. That's just a common misconception a lot of carpers can gossip about whilst blanking once to often in my opinion. It's always someone or something else's fault. We all can do it. It just don't happen though in reality. No one's got no time for that shizzle whatsoever. If they have the time to do stuff like that, they are not doing so well.
Sponsored anglers or blokes that get sorted out for helping with photos etc always get sorted out AFTER the paying customers. No ifs, no buts, no maybes. And if that's not happening at the bait firm you use, you should change them for someone else. You're spoilt for choice.
Quote.... For me I always wonder if the bait that the sponsored anglers get is the same bait as everyone else.
Of course it is mate. That's just a common misconception a lot of carpers can gossip about whilst blanking once to often in my opinion. It's always someone or something else's fault. We all can do it. It just don't happen though in reality. No one's got no time for that shizzle whatsoever. If they have the time to do stuff like that, they are not doing so well.
Sponsored anglers or blokes that get sorted out for helping with photos etc always get sorted out AFTER the paying customers. No ifs, no buts, no maybes. And if that's not happening at the bait firm you use, you should change them for someone else. You're spoilt for choice.
I agree with you mark the bait for sponsors is the same as Joe Public
One of my old friends was sponsored by mainline still is i think and he never pays a penny for bait
We was having a conversation years ago and always remember saying you must use this super duper wonder bait no one else gets and he started laughing and said your kidding im using straight out the bag cell I wasn't having it I said he must have a special prototype being sponsored and what he said next made the penny drop for me he said
Why would I fish a bait the fish have never seen when evey lake up and down the country is getting prebated for me week in week out with cell in wouldn't make any sense to fish on anything else
At the time cell was in its heyday and he was doing a lot of carp matches it was a staple diet for most day ticket fisheries
Opened my eyes
One of my old friends was sponsored by mainline still is i think and he never pays a penny for bait
We was having a conversation years ago and always remember saying you must use this super duper wonder bait no one else gets and he started laughing and said your kidding im using straight out the bag cell I wasn't having it I said he must have a special prototype being sponsored and what he said next made the penny drop for me he said
Why would I fish a bait the fish have never seen when evey lake up and down the country is getting prebated for me week in week out with cell in wouldn't make any sense to fish on anything else
At the time cell was in its heyday and he was doing a lot of carp matches it was a staple diet for most day ticket fisheries
Opened my eyes
In reply to Post #1
First thing I would want to know. How long was he on for?
What's the stock of “40s”
Also, he may have a trial bait or something with a twist?
Was he doing something different to the norm. And don't forget, he will have some good info on the place from the people he knows, a massive, if not, the edge!
To be fair, very successful angler
First thing I would want to know. How long was he on for?
What's the stock of “40s”
Also, he may have a trial bait or something with a twist?
Was he doing something different to the norm. And don't forget, he will have some good info on the place from the people he knows, a massive, if not, the edge!
To be fair, very successful angler
In reply to Post #31
I fully agree mate great angler and a nice chap. But there's no way on earth he'd fish Norton Disney if it wasn't for work.
I personally wouldn't give up the way I like to fish just to be able to fish full time, it would ruin the passion. He likely still fishes some top waters but he won't get the same time and results.
Nice to have free kit and bait but it's got to be worth it, look at Terry Hearn he's never had to fish commercial puddles to do so.
Each to their own and I wish him all the best. He's fished a few lakes very local to me, very difficult lakes and hard to get on and by all accounts had some great results.
I fully agree mate great angler and a nice chap. But there's no way on earth he'd fish Norton Disney if it wasn't for work.
I personally wouldn't give up the way I like to fish just to be able to fish full time, it would ruin the passion. He likely still fishes some top waters but he won't get the same time and results.
Nice to have free kit and bait but it's got to be worth it, look at Terry Hearn he's never had to fish commercial puddles to do so.
Each to their own and I wish him all the best. He's fished a few lakes very local to me, very difficult lakes and hard to get on and by all accounts had some great results.
In reply to Post #33
He was never lying to you. The thought that Mainline, or anyone else similar are going to make some extra special bait for sponsored anglers is a farcical one in so many ways. Bait companies are holding back extra special baits from the public? Think about that really hard. It makes no sense apart from as an excuse when someone blanked. Like your mate pointed out to you, no one is going to sit on the toughest pits in the land wasting their valuable time fishing for the fish of dreams using stuff they don't have 100% confidence in. So it always has to be the same, unless you're playing at the game. That just is never happening. Only during gossip around carp lakes. But it's something that gets said a lot.
Micky Gray is a member of this forum. Thicky. It was the old gits 60th birthday a few days ago. Happy birthday Mick. Up until just after he caught SOTR from Dinton White Swan, Nigh on every carp that he caught over a number of years was on an S2. You might not have seen them apart from in his books because of publicity bans. For many years, he along with Ricci and Cash were the only three anglers to receive free hook baits from me whenever they asked. That has changed now. But that's how it was for a long time.
Thicky can come tell you for himself if he ever received anything different or special from me. He never. Sure things need to be tested and trailed. But in terms of the S2 that Micky always got from me for free, they would be the EXACT same ones that anyone would buy from us. Just like your friend with his Cell from Mainline.
He was never lying to you. The thought that Mainline, or anyone else similar are going to make some extra special bait for sponsored anglers is a farcical one in so many ways. Bait companies are holding back extra special baits from the public? Think about that really hard. It makes no sense apart from as an excuse when someone blanked. Like your mate pointed out to you, no one is going to sit on the toughest pits in the land wasting their valuable time fishing for the fish of dreams using stuff they don't have 100% confidence in. So it always has to be the same, unless you're playing at the game. That just is never happening. Only during gossip around carp lakes. But it's something that gets said a lot.
Micky Gray is a member of this forum. Thicky. It was the old gits 60th birthday a few days ago. Happy birthday Mick. Up until just after he caught SOTR from Dinton White Swan, Nigh on every carp that he caught over a number of years was on an S2. You might not have seen them apart from in his books because of publicity bans. For many years, he along with Ricci and Cash were the only three anglers to receive free hook baits from me whenever they asked. That has changed now. But that's how it was for a long time.
Thicky can come tell you for himself if he ever received anything different or special from me. He never. Sure things need to be tested and trailed. But in terms of the S2 that Micky always got from me for free, they would be the EXACT same ones that anyone would buy from us. Just like your friend with his Cell from Mainline.
In reply to Post #36
You might not have seen them apart from in his books because of publicity bans
I know you don't use SM so wanted to mention that Micky has one of my favourite Instagram accounts in all of carp fishing - lots of beautiful fish
Well worth a look - https://www.instagram.com/mickygray741/
You might not have seen them apart from in his books because of publicity bans
I know you don't use SM so wanted to mention that Micky has one of my favourite Instagram accounts in all of carp fishing - lots of beautiful fish
Well worth a look - https://www.instagram.com/mickygray741/
In reply to Post #37
I see it Jamie. That's how I knew it was his birthday the other day. Not swallowing that he's only 60 either 🤡
He's not as shy now as he was a few years ago. See them all over. I hope he's getting punished with PM's 😂
I see it Jamie. That's how I knew it was his birthday the other day. Not swallowing that he's only 60 either 🤡
He's not as shy now as he was a few years ago. See them all over. I hope he's getting punished with PM's 😂
In reply to Post #1
Bait rules on venues play a huge part as well. Grenville is a boilie only water, that's all they see so they don't get preoccupied on particles/pellet/naturals and there is so much going in there of different brands/shapes/sizes/colours that for me bait, (as in type of boilie) matters not one jot on Grenvilles, put it in the right place, in vast quantities and they will eat it.
Most of Darrells fish came in short bursts straight after the bait had been put out by boat, once they had moved in and hoovered it up the bites dried up until the next boat drop....rinse and repeat...
Darrells main edge on there, (apart from an infinite supply of bait) is that he can accurately put a baited rig 150 yards plus.
So yes, to answer your question, success on Greville is down to a large quantity of bait which is being dropped from a boat onto a spot that Darrell hits with consummate ease and accuracy. He's not getting any special treatment down there, any member could get a bait drop, the majority though probably wont be able to afford the quantity of bait or be able to fish in the same manner.
Bait rules on venues play a huge part as well. Grenville is a boilie only water, that's all they see so they don't get preoccupied on particles/pellet/naturals and there is so much going in there of different brands/shapes/sizes/colours that for me bait, (as in type of boilie) matters not one jot on Grenvilles, put it in the right place, in vast quantities and they will eat it.
Most of Darrells fish came in short bursts straight after the bait had been put out by boat, once they had moved in and hoovered it up the bites dried up until the next boat drop....rinse and repeat...
Darrells main edge on there, (apart from an infinite supply of bait) is that he can accurately put a baited rig 150 yards plus.
So yes, to answer your question, success on Greville is down to a large quantity of bait which is being dropped from a boat onto a spot that Darrell hits with consummate ease and accuracy. He's not getting any special treatment down there, any member could get a bait drop, the majority though probably wont be able to afford the quantity of bait or be able to fish in the same manner.
In reply to Post #36
Is it not well documented that Dave Lane as an example has used baits that the public don't have there hands on yet, field testers, same as most field testers.I always thought activ 8 was a great bait seeing what it had caught at the time, and one bailiff once said to me, these fish have been brought up on activ 8 until on lad from a bait company came along and took over 20 fish one weekend whilst most others were caning the activ 8 in for nothing. And for the record, I still believe activ 8 is a good bait.
It's an interesting thought thought because, just imagine if only one bait could be used by all on a lake. then it would be spot fishing or would people still believe it's all down to rigs when others are catching and some are not
Is it not well documented that Dave Lane as an example has used baits that the public don't have there hands on yet, field testers, same as most field testers.I always thought activ 8 was a great bait seeing what it had caught at the time, and one bailiff once said to me, these fish have been brought up on activ 8 until on lad from a bait company came along and took over 20 fish one weekend whilst most others were caning the activ 8 in for nothing. And for the record, I still believe activ 8 is a good bait.
It's an interesting thought thought because, just imagine if only one bait could be used by all on a lake. then it would be spot fishing or would people still believe it's all down to rigs when others are catching and some are not
when I used to get bait from mainline it would either be a named released bait or just called 'new' which was something being field tested.
if I asked for 10kg cell then I got a tube with cell written on it, containing the same bait that I could buy in my local tackle shop. I can't think of a single time where it was different to what I expected (they are all pretty unique & easily identifiable)
if I got a new bait, I had no idea what it would be & the tube just had new written on it. it was very rare that I got the same bait more than once - I think it was the new grange which was being trialed at the time & it varied in color, taste & smell - I don't think I had anything that was the same as the released bait. when reporting on captures in the press, this would usually be shown as "on a new bait from mainline" or "on a test bait from mainline"
Wrt to only a single bait being used on a water - Simon Pomery insists that only his boilies are used on his lakes & I think RH fisheries encourage it as well? I have no idea what goes in Pom's baits but from what I have been told the RH baits are balanced & very good for the fish.
if I asked for 10kg cell then I got a tube with cell written on it, containing the same bait that I could buy in my local tackle shop. I can't think of a single time where it was different to what I expected (they are all pretty unique & easily identifiable)
if I got a new bait, I had no idea what it would be & the tube just had new written on it. it was very rare that I got the same bait more than once - I think it was the new grange which was being trialed at the time & it varied in color, taste & smell - I don't think I had anything that was the same as the released bait. when reporting on captures in the press, this would usually be shown as "on a new bait from mainline" or "on a test bait from mainline"
Wrt to only a single bait being used on a water - Simon Pomery insists that only his boilies are used on his lakes & I think RH fisheries encourage it as well? I have no idea what goes in Pom's baits but from what I have been told the RH baits are balanced & very good for the fish.
In reply to Post #41
It's interesting, because that takes away an edge from everyone, kind of levels it off. Then you could look at glugs and soaks etc for a twist. Imagine coming along on there with something they have not seen before
I bet some people do
It's interesting, because that takes away an edge from everyone, kind of levels it off. Then you could look at glugs and soaks etc for a twist. Imagine coming along on there with something they have not seen before
I bet some people do
In reply to Post #42
It's just marketing and cornering that market to the exclusion of all competition under the guise of 'fish welfare.
It's just marketing and cornering that market to the exclusion of all competition under the guise of 'fish welfare.
In reply to Post #40
Quote....Is it not well documented that Dave Lane as an example has used baits that the public don't have there hands on yet, field testers, same as most field testers.
Of course, as I said in my post things need testing. You only give stuff that needs testing to people who A) go fishing a lot, and B) who you will get the required feedback from.
But that is not what is being alluded too whatsoever. What was being alluded to is that he would be getting some souped up better version of the baits than what are available to the public. Getting better bait than the paying customers.
That's just bad anglers, making excuses as to why good anglers catch, and they do not.
Bait companies can't afford to hold back special baits, they will go out of business. Rapidly. Why would a bait company want to make for example DL look special? They are in the business of making money, not making sponsored anglers look better. DL catches what he catches because he is a top of the tree angler, not because he gets some special bait that other paying members of the public do not get.
It's standard carp fishing. Anglers always need an excuse for inside their own heads as to why someone else catches more than them. An intelligent person accepts it's just because they are far better at the game than they themselves are. Improves themself off the back of it. A unintelligent person will always look for excuses. "They are only better than me as they have an unfair advantage".
If it makes them feel better about themselves, triffic. It does not stop the fact that DL gets the exact same Cell that they do. Yes he might get newer stuff to trail.... But there's far more chance that is terrible and does not work, than some unfair advantage over others.
Quote....Is it not well documented that Dave Lane as an example has used baits that the public don't have there hands on yet, field testers, same as most field testers.
Of course, as I said in my post things need testing. You only give stuff that needs testing to people who A) go fishing a lot, and B) who you will get the required feedback from.
But that is not what is being alluded too whatsoever. What was being alluded to is that he would be getting some souped up better version of the baits than what are available to the public. Getting better bait than the paying customers.
That's just bad anglers, making excuses as to why good anglers catch, and they do not.
Bait companies can't afford to hold back special baits, they will go out of business. Rapidly. Why would a bait company want to make for example DL look special? They are in the business of making money, not making sponsored anglers look better. DL catches what he catches because he is a top of the tree angler, not because he gets some special bait that other paying members of the public do not get.
It's standard carp fishing. Anglers always need an excuse for inside their own heads as to why someone else catches more than them. An intelligent person accepts it's just because they are far better at the game than they themselves are. Improves themself off the back of it. A unintelligent person will always look for excuses. "They are only better than me as they have an unfair advantage".
If it makes them feel better about themselves, triffic. It does not stop the fact that DL gets the exact same Cell that they do. Yes he might get newer stuff to trail.... But there's far more chance that is terrible and does not work, than some unfair advantage over others.
In reply to Post #44
Thinking sponsored anglers don't get special treatment is incredibly naive. It's funny you mention Dave Lane because I had a walk round a syndicate last summer and the owner who was showing me round just happened to mention DL had done some filming there recently.
The owner also mentioned, for 2 weeks prior a swim had been cordoned off for Dave and prebaited every day.
I suspect this kind of thing happens a lot for celebrity anglers and it makes sense from a commercial perspective. Now I'm not saying celebrity anglers do or don't get better bait than the public but they do get preferable treatment in other areas of their angling, treatment is mere mortals could only dream of
Thinking sponsored anglers don't get special treatment is incredibly naive. It's funny you mention Dave Lane because I had a walk round a syndicate last summer and the owner who was showing me round just happened to mention DL had done some filming there recently.
The owner also mentioned, for 2 weeks prior a swim had been cordoned off for Dave and prebaited every day.
I suspect this kind of thing happens a lot for celebrity anglers and it makes sense from a commercial perspective. Now I'm not saying celebrity anglers do or don't get better bait than the public but they do get preferable treatment in other areas of their angling, treatment is mere mortals could only dream of